


Measuring Time in Emotion

by Mattecat



Series: Digitaltimeshipping & Related Stories [2]
Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Trans Character, Trans Female Acronix, Trans Female Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-05
Updated: 2018-08-05
Packaged: 2019-06-22 05:05:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15574419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mattecat/pseuds/Mattecat
Summary: Acronix wakes up in the morning after Cyrus spends the night in her apartment. Pure fluff.





	Measuring Time in Emotion

**Author's Note:**

  * For [timetwins](https://archiveofourown.org/users/timetwins/gifts).



> happy birthday reid (disclaimer: it's not reid's birthday) have the bonus I promised u
> 
> basically: this is another fic I wrote for a friend, featuring digitaltimeshipping & trans lady acronix (her transness doesn't play much of a part in this other than y'know being female & the one line I put in to make it clear this isn't a cis genderbend). like the last fic ([which you can read here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15476802)), yes this trans headcanon does make the ship a m/f romance, pls remember that straight relationships with trans ppl are vastly different than typical cishet romances, uhhh idk what else.
> 
> it's just fluff my dudes. have fun

It had seemed like a good idea at the time. Acronix had been exhausted after not only working all day, but following her shift up with a date in the evening, so when Cyrus said he wanted to stay the night, Acronix was too tired to fully realize what that would entail. She agreed, and after they both got into her bed, they exchanged goodnights and she promptly fell fast asleep.

In the morning, Acronix wakes up slowly. She knows she should get up soon, but the bed feels so warm and cozy that she's reluctant to start moving. She shifts her position, and feels movement beside her. That's right, she thinks. Cyrus spent the night with her.

Still waking up, she takes another moment to process that realization.

Cyrus… spent the night with her?

Cyrus Borg? The CEO of Borg Industries? Spent the night in Acronix's apartment? The cheap studio apartment with a landlord who won't even try to fix half the problems in it? The Cyrus who's a billionaire? Stayed in her apartment? That Cyrus? Not that she's dating any other Cyrus, but –

Acronix sits up and rubs the sleep out of her eyes. "Cyrus?" she says, her tongue heavy with sleep. "Are you awake?"

Cyrus stirs, moving one arm to reach for his glasses. His hand bumps into the wall. "Good morning," he says, his voice muffled by the pillow. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, but what are you doing here?!"

He raises his head up and squints at her. "I wanted to spend the night with you. We're dating, aren't we?"

"But why _here?_ We could've –" She wrings her hands together. "– gone back to the tower, maybe?"

"Oh no, I wasn't going to make you –" He feels around the mattress with one hand as he talks. "– go all the way there, you were exhausted, and… do you know where my glasses are?"

Acronix picks Cyrus' glasses off the table next to her and hands them to him. "Thank you," Cyrus says, putting them on. "Hm. Still can't see. What time is it?"

Her BorgWatch says it's past eight already, but there are no windows in her bedroom, so there's no sunlight to brighten the room. Acronix puts her watch on, then gets out of bed. She immediately stubs her toe against Cyrus' wheelchair. "Ow!"

"Are you alright?"

"Yes! I'm fine!" She stumbles to the light switch and flips it on. Cyrus squeezes his eyes shut in the sudden brightness.

"So," he says. "Me staying over… that's not, ah, a problem, is it? I mean, it's a bit too late to go back now, but…"

"It's not that I don't want you over," Acronix says quickly. "But… how are you going to get home?"

"Well, the car is only a few blocks over, I can get myself there easily enough."

"Do you really not see the issue here?!"

He blinks at her. "Not… entirely? I know I'm a well-known figure here in Ninjago City, but…"

"'Well-known' barely begins to describe it! Acronix throws her arms out. "You're Cyrus Borg, and you just spent a night in my cheap apartment, and the public doesn't know we're dating! What are you going to do if someone sees you leave?"

Cyrus frowns. "I, ah, didn't think of all that."

Acronix groans and puts a hand to her face. "You're a genius, Cyrus, but you're so _stupid._ "

"Well, you know what they say. A man in love –"

Acronix picks up the pillow and throws it at him before he can continue. Cyrus bursts out laughing. Acronix can't help but smile, too.

The anxiety quickly returns. "Do you have clean clothes?" she asks. "You're wearing the same clothes as yesterday!"

"I didn't bring a change of clothes, no."

Acronix turns away. "Why am I being the reasonable one, here?!"

"You're… you're not upset, are you?"

He sounds so worried – Acronix shakes her head. "I'm a _little_ upset," she says. "Our relationship is still… mostly a secret. Sure, Pixal knows, and the ninja know, but…"

They've talked about this before. If people peer too closely at the "Nyx Saunders" identity, they'll find out she's Acronix – and if they go public with their relationship, there will be many people looking closely at her identity. That, and she's still working at the Borg Store; she shouldn't be working there if she's going to date the CEO of Borg Industries. Cyrus has been helping her look for a replacement job, but not many places are calling back.

"I'm sorry, Acronix," Cyrus says. "I… wasn't thinking of the consequences. I wasn't thinking much at all, actually, just that… it's tiring, being Cyrus Borg sometimes."

Acronix looks back at him. He's propping himself up on his arms, looking down at the bed. "It's not that I don't like who I am," he says. "Or my public persona. But knowing that the world is always watching me, that I have to hide my relationships or have both of us face their scrutiny… it's tiring. I wanted to get away from all that, just for a night."

He sighs. Acronix… thinks she understands, if only a little. She's felt some of it during their relationship, how they have to be careful with every interaction, how even kissing in Borg's private cafeteria is a risk. She's also felt something similar every time she dresses the slightest bit feminine, the eyes on her as passersby try to determine what she is. She's not on hormones yet, though Cyrus assures her he'll find a way to help her get them, and knowing that the strangers who see her will think she's a man no matter how she dresses makes her dysphoric to the point of nausea.

Feeling people watching her… it's not a good feeling, to say the least. She can't imagine how that would feel to experience every day.

"You could have a disguise," she suggests. "A false identity."

"I've tried. It's not easy, what with my disability."

"You can't be the only person in Ninjago City who uses a wheelchair."

"Even if I find a disguise that works, there will still be the fear of being recognized. I don't want to have that constant anxiety." Cyrus shakes his head. "No, there really isn't much I can do."

He looks up and smiles. "Besides, I did get what I wanted. I spent the night with the woman I love."

Acronix snorts. "Well then," she says, "there's no point in making you leave right away. I have cereal, if you want breakfast."

"Breakfast does sound good. Do you have work today?"

"Not 'til the afternoon. Plenty of time. I'll get dressed and meet you at the table."

Cyrus is already waiting for her when she's done getting dressed. Acronix gets the cereal down from the shelf and places it on the table. Cyrus wrinkles his nose. "Do you have anything that's not filled with sugar?"

"I would never allow bland cereal in my apartment."

"Fair point. Well, that's a problem for when we move in together."

Acronix freezes. "What?!"

Cyrus has already made himself coffee, and he sips at his mug before answering. "We haven't talked about it, but… it's natural, for a relationship, to eventually move in. It will have to wait until after we're able to be public with our relationship, but you have a room at Borg Tower already, and you're certainly welcome there."

"And you're certainly not going to move into this apartment," Acronix says with a laugh. She can feel her heart pounding. She didn't imagine they ever could be public, or that Cyrus thought they could be. Then again, it's not that she wants to keep their relationship secret forever. She hasn't been thinking much about the future – at least, not as much as Cyrus must have.

"Do you want coffee?" Cyrus asks.

Acronix snaps herself out of it. "Yes, definitely."

She takes the offered mug. Cyrus didn't make the coffee as strong as she likes, but she's not going to complain. She leans down and kisses him on the cheek. "Thanks," she says.

"You're very welcome! Thank you for letting me stay overnight, despite, ah, the problems it may cause."

"I'm sure we can deal with it."

Cyrus laughs. "I certainly hope so!"

Acronix looks at her watch again. Not even nine. "I don't have anything planned until work," she says, sitting down in the chair next to him. "Do you have anything?"

Cyrus shakes his head. "I _had_ a meeting today, but it was rescheduled on short notice. I only found out last night, which is what precipitated my decision to stay. I really don't appreciate my time being wasted like that, but, now I have a free day." He taps his fingers on the table. "After you go to work, I might ask Pixal if she's busy? We haven't had a father-daughter outing in some time…"

He trails off. They spend a few moments in silence before Acronix sighs. "Do you really think we'll be able to be… open about this, ever?" she says, staring into her cup of coffee. "It feels impossible, sometimes."

"I think we can be." Cyrus puts a hand on her shoulder. "It might take a while, but as long as we work towards it… I've been talking to the ninja about how we can manage your, ah, criminal record."

"Really?"

"Nothing in-depth, just… seeing what the options are. If they speak up in your favor, you might get away with a community service sentence, but there would most likely be a trial, and…" He sighs, too. "It's a bit complicated, let's put it that way."

Acronix leans against him. "I'll have to go through it eventually. Some days I think, maybe _this_ is the day I should turn myself in."

Cyrus puts his other arm around her. "Please don't do anything rash. Whatever it takes, we'll get through it together, alright?" He hesitates. "And… there's still the possibility that your brother will return. The ninja have certainly not given up searching for Wu. You'll want to be there for him."

"I _know,_ " Acronix says. "I'm not going to turn myself in without at least talking it through. I just think about it." 

Cyrus hums. Acronix adjusts herself until she's leaning against his chest. It's a little awkward, but they manage to find a comfortable position for both of them, Acronix looking up at his face. This close, she can feel Cyrus' breathing.

"Your breath stinks," she tells him. Cyrus reflexively covers his mouth. Acronix laughs. "Just teasing," she says, and she leans up to kiss the back of his hand.

"I didn't exactly bring a toothbrush," he mumbles, still covering his mouth. "Maybe I should bring one to leave here? Though that would imply I would stay here more nights…"

"I'd much rather stay at your place. Causes less problems, and the beds are nicer."

"And it's much more accessible, too. That ramp outside may have met the bare minimum of accessibility requirements, once. It does not anymore."

"Yeah, that ramp is awful. This whole place is falling apart. I can afford a better place, but better places might find all the holes in my identity."

Acronix's phone buzzes. She straightens up and takes it out to squint at. Her eyes widen. "I have a job interview!"

"What?!" Cyrus yelps. "When?!"

"Today! In fifteen minutes! At the post office!"

"Are you serious?!"

"Yes! I forgot!"

"Oh my goodness!" Cyrus rolls back and gestures at the door. "Go! Hurry!"

Acronix scrambles to her feet and rushes around the room to get her bag, her wallet, her keys – "Okay! Bye!"

"Wait! Aren't you forgetting something?"

Acronix rushes back to Cyrus and kisses him. "Okay, now I really have to go, so –"

Cyrus' face is very, very red. "Your _shoes,_ " he squeaks.

"Oh." Acronix looks down at her bare feet. "Oh!"

Once she has shoes on, Cyrus wordlessly gestures at the door. She pauses with her hand on the knob. "And you'll make it home okay?"

"Yes! I'll be fine! Worst case scenario, I'll wait here until you get back!" Cyrus smiles at her. "Now go rock that interview!"

Acronix grins and blows a kiss before leaving.

While she's racing to be on time, she can't help but think – there's hope for the future. She always knew it, but it feels more real, now, after she's woken up with Cyrus at her side.

She makes it to the interview less than five minutes late.


End file.
